Bolthole Index

Livingston County, New York

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Village of Dansville, New York

The Village of Dansville, New York, in Livingston County, adopts its own zoning code1 and requires a building permit for work that must meet the state Uniform Code2. Building permits and zoning questions go to the village Code Enforcement Officer3. Septic permits are not a village matter: Livingston County's Department of Health issues them4.

At a glance

Zoning
Village of Dansville zoning code (Chapter 330)1
Building permit
Required for work that must conform to the Uniform Code, with listed exemptions2
Who issues permits
Village Code Enforcement Officer, 14 Clara Barton Street3
Certificate of occupancy
Required for work done under a building permit5
Septic
Livingston County Department of Health, Environmental Health4
Driveways
Written permission from the Village Street Superintendent6
Mobile-home parks
Only in the A and LR districts, on a tract of at least 10 acres7

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Dansville Code Enforcement Officer (Building, Zoning & Code Enforcement)

Building permits, zoning permits and code enforcement inside the Village of Dansville

(585)-335-6955

14 Clara Barton Street, Second Floor Dansville, NY 14437

Septic permits

Livingston County Department of Health - Environmental Health

Individual wastewater treatment system (septic) permits and inspections in Livingston County

585-243-7280

[email protected]

2 Murray Hill Drive, Mt. Morris, NY 14510

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Village of Dansville means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does the Village of Dansville have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

The Village of Dansville has its own zoning code, Chapter 330 of the village code, adopted by the Board of Trustees1. Livingston County does not zone: zoning authority in New York belongs to cities, towns and villages, not counties8. The code sorts land into districts, including Agricultural-Conservation, Low Density Residential, Low Density Residential-2 and High Density Residential9. Which district a parcel sits in depends on the official zoning map, so check the parcel before you plan anything9.

One rule is spelled out for manufactured housing: a mobile-home park may be permitted only in the Agricultural-Conservation and Low Density Residential districts, on a tract of at least 10 acres that fronts a collector street7. We could not confirm village rules on living in an RV, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or short-term rentals; ask the Code Enforcement Officer before buying with one of those plans3.

Do you need a building permit in the Village of Dansville, and who issues it?

Yes. Inside the Village of Dansville, a building permit is required for any work that must conform to the New York State Uniform Code or the Energy Code, with exemptions listed in § 138-4B2. The village administers and enforces the Uniform Code itself10. Exempt work must still comply with the code2.

The village Code Enforcement Officer, at 14 Clara Barton Street, Second Floor, handles the application, and the village posts an Application for Building and Zoning Permit on its website3. The application must be in writing, signed by the owner or an authorized agent, and detailed enough for a code-compliance review11. We could not confirm the permit fee amounts; the Code Enforcement Officer's page links a building fee schedule, so ask the office for the current figures3.

How do septic permits work inside the Village of Dansville?

Septic permits come from the Livingston County Department of Health's Center for Environmental Health, not from the village4. The county says to obtain a septic system permit for a new home12, and design plans must accompany the application13. The county's published fee for a new system is $225, made up of a $120 permit fee and a $105 engineering fee14.

The county Sanitary Code also says no septic permit is issued for property that can reach a public or municipal sanitary sewer15. That matters inside a village with a sewer system. We could not confirm whether a given lot in the Village of Dansville must connect to public sewer, so ask the Code Enforcement Officer and county Environmental Health before you count on a septic system16.

Building a home in the Village of Dansville: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district on the village zoning map and in Chapter 3309.
  2. If you are dividing land, check the village subdivision rules in Chapter 28517.
  3. Apply for the building and zoning permit with the Code Enforcement Officer3; the application needs the owner's signature11.
  4. If the driveway meets a public right-of-way, get written permission from the Village Street Superintendent first6.
  5. Keep work exposed until it is inspected and accepted18.
  6. Obtain a certificate of occupancy before using the building5.
  7. If the lot will not use public sewer, apply to Livingston County Environmental Health for a septic permit12.

What stays with Livingston County, and what to check before you buy in Dansville

The county handles septic permits4 and sets the rules for access onto county roads: the Livingston County Highway Department must approve creating or modifying access to a County Road19. A residence on a state highway needs a permit from the New York State Department of Transportation for a driveway20. For land outside the village, see the Livingston County page; the county does not zone, and the town or village that has the parcel sets its zoning21.

Before you buy, ask the village about flood rules: development in a mapped flood hazard area needs a local floodplain permit22. Livingston County's effective property tax rate is 2.5%23, so budget for it.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm whether the Village of Dansville has rules on long-term RV living, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, short-term rentals or owner-built homes; ask the Code Enforcement Officer before relying on any of them3.
  • Septic permits come from Livingston County, and the county's Sanitary Code issues none for property that can reach a public sewer, so confirm sewer availability first15.
  • Zoning, subdivision and driveway rules inside the village differ from those on land outside it, where the county does not zone and the town sets the rules21.

Sources

  1. Chapter 330: Zoning - Village of Dansville, NY (Village of Dansville), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 138: Building Code Administration and Enforcement - Village of Dansville, NY (Village of Dansville), quoted and re-checked
  3. Village of Dansville Code Enforcement Officer (Building, Zoning & Code Enforcement) (villageofdansvilleny.gov)
  4. Environmental Health, quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 138: Building Code Administration and Enforcement - Village of Dansville, NY (Village of Dansville), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 160: Driveways - Village of Dansville, NY (Village of Dansville), quoted and re-checked
  7. Article VI: Zoning District Regulations - Village of Dansville, NY (Village of Dansville), quoted and re-checked
  8. documents.dps.ny.gov (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Chapter 330: Zoning - Village of Dansville, NY (Village of Dansville), quoted and re-checked
  10. Chapter 138: Building Code Administration and Enforcement - Village of Dansville, NY (Village of Dansville), quoted and re-checked
  11. Chapter 138: Building Code Administration and Enforcement - Village of Dansville, NY (Village of Dansville), quoted and re-checked
  12. Environmental Health, quoted and re-checked
  13. Application for Individual Wastewater Treatment System-2020, quoted and re-checked
  14. Application for Individual Wastewater Treatment System-2020, quoted and re-checked
  15. Sanitary Code of Livingston County, quoted and re-checked
  16. Livingston County Department of Health - Environmental Health (livingstoncountyny.gov)
  17. Chapter 285: Subdivision of Land - Village of Dansville, NY (Village of Dansville), quoted and re-checked
  18. Chapter 138: Building Code Administration and Enforcement - Village of Dansville, NY (Village of Dansville), quoted and re-checked
  19. Highway Permits, quoted and re-checked
  20. Residential Driveway Permits (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. Section 9.1 - Livingston County, quoted and re-checked
  22. Floodplain Management - NYSDEC (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Village of Dansville

Village of Dansville’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Work inside the Village that must conform to the Uniform Code or Energy Code.

    • Exemptions listed in § 138-4B apply; exempt work must still comply with the Uniform Code and Energy Code.
    “Building permits required. Except as otherwise provided in Subsection B of this section, a building permit shall be required for any work which must conform to the Uniform Code and/or the Energy Code”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Buildings, structures, and premises inside the Village of Dansville.

    • Except as otherwise provided in the Uniform Code, other state law, or Chapter 138.
    “This chapter provides for the administration and enforcement of the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code (the Uniform Code) and the State Energy Conservation Construction Code (the Energy Code) in this Village.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Construction performed under a Village building permit.

    • Work must remain accessible and exposed until inspected and accepted; applicable inspection stages include final inspection.
    “Work shall remain accessible and exposed until inspected and accepted by the Code and Zoning Enforcement Officer or by an inspector authorized by the Code and Zoning Enforcement Officer.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Work subject to a building permit and structures converted to another use or occupancy classification inside the Village.

    • The Code and Zoning Enforcement Officer or authorized inspector must inspect before issuance; a temporary certificate may be issued only under § 138-7D conditions.
    “Certificates of occupancy/certificates of compliance required. A certificate of occupancy/certificate of compliance shall be required for any work which is the subject of a building permit and for all structures, buildings, or portions thereof, which are converted from one use or occupancy classification or subclassification to another.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside the Village of Dansville.

    • Chapter 330 is the Village zoning code.
    “Chapter 330 Zoning [HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Dansville 5-27-1971. Compiled and reprinted by the Village in March 2009; any revisions included therein are ratified at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I). Amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside the Village of Dansville.

    • District applicability depends on the official zoning map and parcel location.
    “§ 601 Agricultural-Conservation District, A. § 602 Low Density Residential, LR. § 603 Low Density Residential-2, LR-2. § 604 High Density Residential, HR.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Mobile-home parks in the Agricultural-Conservation and Low Density Residential districts inside the Village.

    • A mobile-home park may be permitted only in A and LR districts and only if the standards and procedures in § 601D are met.
    • Minimum tract size is 10 acres and the tract must front on a collector street.
    • A 55-foot front-yard setback from road centerline and a 40-foot property-line setback apply to each mobile home.

    minimum tract size: >= 10 acres · front setback from road center line: >= 55 feet (to any mobile home in the park) · property-line setback: >= 40 feet (to any mobile home in the park)

    “Mobile home parks may be permitted in Agricultural-Conservation (A) and Low Density Residential (LR) Districts, provided that the following standards and procedures are adhered to:”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision applications for land inside the Village.

    • The code identifies exceptions for certain minor subdivisions.
    “Article III Procedure for Filing Subdivision Applications”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Driveway access regulated by Chapter 160 inside the Village.

    • Permit content is determined by the Village Street Superintendent and includes location, design, dimensions, intended use, grade, materials, and drainage provisions.
    • Approval or denial is filed with the Code and Zoning Enforcement Officer.
    “No owner, tenant or occupant of land abutting upon any public right-of-way which by statute, the state, county, town or Village is obligated to repair and maintain, shall construct any private road or driveway thereon, so as to extend into such public way, without first having obtained a written permission from the Village Street Superintendent having charge of the maintenance and repair of such public way.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Village building-permit applications.

    • Application must be in writing on a form provided by or acceptable to the Code and Zoning Enforcement Officer.
    • The application must be signed by the property owner or authorized agent and include information sufficient for a code-compliance determination.
    “Applications for a building permit shall be made in writing on a form provided by or otherwise acceptable to the Code and Zoning Enforcement Officer. The application shall be signed by the owner of the property where the work is to be performed or an authorized agent of the owner.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Dansville or Livingston County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside the Village.
  • Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside the Village.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside the Village.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside the Village.
  • Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside the Village.
10 more unanswered
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Village of Dansville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Livingston County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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